Millions Lost to Landfill: The Hidden Cost of West Australia's Recycling Shortfall
By Dr Jason Hamer | 28th Janurary 2025
When the Western Australian Government and WA Return Recycle Renew Limited (WARRRL) first launched the state's container deposit scheme in 2020 - Containers for Change (C4C) - I was a sceptic, despite being a big sustainability advocate. Why would anyone go to extra effort to recycle a bottle, when they could just put it in a recycling bin to achieve the same sustainable outcome? Surely, the 10c from my odd container here and there wasn't worth my time.
For those unfamiliar, Containers for Change is a state-based scheme designed to encourage the community to recycle drinking containers that are often littered or incorrectly disposed of in general waste bins. While there was infrastructure in place to recycle these containers, people just weren't using them correctly. More containers ending up in landfill meant more plastic accidentally entering our natural environment, and an increased need to extract virgin material (a limited resource, and a carbon intensive process) to generate more containers.
To incentivise recycling, the scheme provides a 10c refund for every eligible container returned, and rolled out a variety of new methods by which you could return your containers in addition to the comingled recycling bin. The more containers that are properly recycled back into containers, the more efficient we become at using our planets resources.
What I didn't realise when the scheme launched was how out of the ordinary I was, how hard it can be to do the right thing in many locations, and how much of an incentive that 10c really was. Turns out, there's a lot of money to be made from the scheme, and we, as a community, are throwing a lot of it away.
So, has the scheme made a lasting impact on recycling behaviour? How much is our poor recycling behaviour costing us? How can you get your hands on the cash that is being thrown away? Scroll down to find out.
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According to 2019-20 surveys, the average Australian drank 133 litres of non-alcoholic drinks from containers, and 128 litres of alcoholic drinks per year.
In Western Australia, this equated to 1.4 billion eligible (10c refundable) containers being sold across nine material types in the year Containers for Change was launched (2020). That's approximately 528 containers per person, per year, which is significantly more than my 30-odd containers!
Most of those 1.4 billion containers ended up in landfill, taking up space and requiring more virgin material to create yet more containers.
WA's container deposit scheme was established to improve resource recovery (thereby avoiding the use of virgin material) and reduce litter, amongst other objectives. But the question stands: has offering a 10c refund actually improved our recycling behaviour and diverted containers away from landfill and into the circular economy?
Since the introduction of Containers for Change, we've seen a drastic shift in how containers are being recycled. Containers that were previously going into recycling bins are now making their owners money through the scheme, while containers that once went into red general waste bins are now being properly recycled.
According to a 2022-23 census, the average Australian is drinking more than ever, consuming 146 litres of non-alcoholic drinks from containers per year (up from 133 litres), with a similar increase likely for non-alcoholic drinks.
Overall, this equates to an additional 121 million eligible containers being sold into Western Australia in 2024 compared with 2020. However, some material types were more popular more than others, with non-glass containers accounting for 195 million additional containers!
Interestingly, despite additional glass containers becoming eligible for the 10c refund since the scheme first launched, 74 million fewer eligible glass containers were sold into WA in 2024 than in 2020. This suggests a shift away from consuming from glass to other materials, predominantly aluminium.
So, can offering a 10c refund improve recycling behaviour and divert containers away from landfill and into the circular economy? Yes!
Where once people were putting their containers into general rubbish bins, now, more than ever, people are choosing to recycle properly. In 2024, 387 million containers that would have once ended up in landfill, are now being properly recycled. WA's container deposit scheme has managed to achieve something very difficult: behaviour change.
Why the change? Because doing the right thing pays (literally). In 2024, Containers for Change WA has paid out $86 million in 10c refunds from their Refund Points.
There're some bubbles here that are worth celebrating. These 22.8 million containers represent a material type that is being recycled properly for the first time: Liquid Paper Board (LPB).
Turns out, despite LPB containers looking like cardboard (e.g. juice boxes and long-life milk), they are a lot harder to recycle than plastic and often get bundled in with other material types. This, in combination with the lack of viable resale market in Australia, has resulted in these containers often ending up in landfill, regardless of the bin they were put in.
Until now! Eligible LPB containers such as flavoured milk and juice boxes can now be recycled via Containers for Change. So next time you finish your carton, check to see if it is eligible, and pop it in a Containers for Change bin. If it's not eligible, you might want to consider buying plastic instead!
Let's focus in on those 10% of containers that are ending up in recycling bins. Rest assured, they are still being recycled (with the exception of Liquid Paper Board, as previously discussed).
In fact, recycling facilities are claiming the refund amount just like you! Each year, they earn approximately $14 million from containers disposed of into yellow comingle bins at home or work, which is shared with the Local Government from where they collect.
This is compared to WA's scheme, which returns the majority ($81 million) of the 10c refunds to the pocket of individuals like yourself.
Did you know that it's an option to donate your containers to charities or community groups? Each year, $4 million is donated to this sector, creating a new source of funding for change makers.
So, why not put your eligible containers to work, and donate them to an organisation you care about instead? My 30 containers may not make a big difference to my wallet, but they can make a difference to a charity.
Nonetheless, whether you put your containers into the recycling bin, give them to an organisation, or claim the 10c yourself, your containers are being recycled.
Overall, 65% of containers sold into the state each year are now being given a second life (and hopefully even a third). That's two containers for every three being sold!
Which leaves 528 million containers, or $53 million, still up for grabs each year. So, how can you get your hands on that cash?
Research shows that the majority of containers ($40 million worth) that end up in landfill each year are predicted to be disposed of out of home. This includes all workplaces, places of recreation, leisure and entertainment.
This is where you come in! Next time you consume a drink out of home, have a think about where you will dispose the container. Does your business, office or footy club have a dedicated bin? Why not start collecting to fund your next BBQ. Do your building's cleaners recycle correctly? It might be worth checking.
Did you know that you can even get someone to collect bags of containers directly from your place of work? Talk about convenience!
So, you know where to look, but what are you looking for? The biggest culprits are aluminium cans and plastic (PET) bottles such as water, soft drink, and energy drinks. Between those two material types, there are $39 million up for grabs.
Look for where these are being consumed and start having conversations. As employees and customers, we have power to drive change, but the managers and business owners need to know that we care.
Plastic bottles (PET) are not only one of the most common materials of container sold into the state, but it's also got a below average recycling rate (61% vs the scheme average of 65%). Whereas aluminium cans and glass are generally consumed at home or at a bar, plastic PET bottles tend to be consumed in commercial settings, leading to lower recycling rates.
Liquid Paper Board (LPB, e.g. juice boxes and flavoured milk cartons) is even lower than PET plastic bottles, with only 30% of containers being properly recycled. Fortunately, these aren't as common as plastic bottles, so aren't as big of an opportunity.
Research indicates that the biggest obstacle to better recycling is convenience. Which is why Containers for Change WA have been trialling a number of new initiatives over the past few years. From bin-side container cages (Container Exchange Points), to bag drop locations (Drop & Go), Self-Serve Kiosks, and home and office collections (Collect), it's becoming more and more convenient to do the right thing.
Yet we are still losing 35% of containers to landfill despite our best efforts. But, realistically, how much of that $53 million is obtainable?
Container deposit schemes are not a new concept - countries around the world have been using them since the 1990s and have achieved return rates of over 90%. While Australia's recycling legislation and community engagement aren't on par with Europe yet, this does suggest that WA should be able to reach the Government's target of 85%, given enough time and support.
That would equate to diverting 57% of the containers currently going into landfill each year. That's $30 million still up for grabs! Or, from another perspective, that's the cost of WA's recycling shortfall.
So, what will you do to help put that money back in the community's pocket? What ideas do you have to push our 65% to 85%? And what can we do as a society to start leading the world and beat Finland's 97%?
